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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27791395">A Very Pregnant Original</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phandancee74/pseuds/Phandancee74'>Phandancee74</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Originals (TV), The Vampire Diaries (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alaric Saltzman Bashing, Caroline never turns off her emotions, Elizabeth Forbes lives, F/M, I'm Sorry, No Kids for Caroline, Rebekah Mikaelson is having some babies</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 08:14:43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,936</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27791395</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phandancee74/pseuds/Phandancee74</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Rebekah and Matt have reconnected and he invites her to the wedding of the season! Alaric and Jo are getting married and Rebekah is just there to party. How was Matt supposed to know it would change her life forever?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Caroline Forbes &amp; Elizabeth Forbes, Caroline Forbes &amp; Rebekah Mikaelson, Caroline Forbes/Klaus Mikaelson, Elizabeth Forbes &amp; Rebekah Mikaelson, Matt Donovan/Rebekah Mikaelson, Rebekah Mikaelson/Lorenzo "Enzo" St. John</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>51</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>June 23, 2013</b>
</p><p>“What’s the problem now?” Caroline demanded, as she burst into the church where Alaric and Jo were set to get married in just over an hour.</p><p>“An uninvited guest of the Original variety.” Damon replied, jerking his head in towards a corner of the chapel where Caroline could see Matt holding Rebekah back as Tyler and Stefan demanded to know what she was doing there.</p><p>“She’s my plus one!” Matt said for the tenth time. “Come on, Ty, she isn’t here as a spy or to kill you or whatever.”</p><p>Caroline moved past Damon and planted herself between Matt and Tyler. “Did you ask the bride if this was a Mikaelson friendly wedding?”</p><p>Matt frowned and reached up to rub the back of his head. “No. To be honest I didn’t really think it would be a big deal.”</p><p>“All I came here for is dancing, drinking, and Matt.” Rebekah said, looking at her nails as if considering whether Tyler’s blood would ruin them.</p><p>“Fine.” Caroline declared. “As the stand-in wedding coordinator I declare Rebekah allowed at the ceremony.” </p><p>“Caroline, she’s clearly using Matt as a way to get invited here, she must know about Elena.” Stefan interrupted. </p><p>“Wow.” Caroline rolled her eyes. “I thought you were going to stop assuming everything was about Elena, Stefan.” </p><p>“Why else would she be here?”</p><p>“Because she’s had a shitty year, just like everyone else and weddings are fun?” Caroline retorted. “I told you, with all the power invested in me as stand-in wedding coordinator, she is hereby allowed in. If I have to say it again, I’m kicking you out. Ric doesn’t even like you two that much.”</p><p>Stefan and Tyler grumbled but backed off and Damon shrugged before getting back to Alaric.</p><p>“Ugh, thank you, Caroline.” Rebekah said, clearly at the urging of Matt. </p><p>“Don’t worry about it. I know you’ve been through a lot lately, I uhhh I saw something on your twitter about your aunt, and your . . . sister.”</p><p>“And my mother, and my father, and my brothers. Yes, yes.” Then it clicked in Rebekah’s head. “Have you been stalking me on social media?”</p><p>“A bit.” Caroline admitted. “It’s never a bad idea to know what is going on with the Mikaelsons and you post the most often, except for a chunk of last year in the summer and fall.”</p><p>Rebekah smiled. “After my niece was born when I was in hiding, yes.”</p><p>“I’m glad you mom is doing okay.” Rebekah told her, and Caroline genuinely smiled, it was still a difficult thing to imagine where she would be without her mother now. “Matt said you had gone through a rough time.”</p><p>“When did you two start talking again?” Caroline asked, trying to keep things friendly if they had to get through the day together.</p><p>“After she liked one of my old photos on Facebook.” Matt teased.</p><p>“I had just gotten back from secret babysitting.” Rebekah complained. “I just wanted to check in on things. I forgot the cardinal rule of cyberstalking.”</p><p>“Don’t hit the like button.” Caroline said solemnly. “We’ve all done it.”</p><p>“Anyway, I saw the notification and I reached out.” Matt said. “Things have been crazy here and I missed our summer in Europe.”</p><p>“So after I got my body back and we killed my aunt, I decided I had earned a weekend away for a wedding.”</p><p>“Totally.” Caroline agreed, glossing over everything Rebekah said. “I’ll try to keep everyone out of your way, you both deserve a break.”</p><p>“Thanks, Care.” Matt said, and then added sheepishly. “Sorry I didn’t think to ask Jo or Alaric.”</p><p>“It’s fine. I’ll just tell Jo, if she even asks, that she agreed it was okay and blame it on her pregnancy brain.”<br/>
____________________________________________________________________________</p><p>Jo walked down the aisle and everything was perfect. The music, her shoes, her dress, her hair, and Alaric waiting down at the end with a look of wonder on his face. They started the ceremony and Caroline was ready to pat herself on the back and market her skills to all her friends for their upcoming nuptials, then of course Kai came out of nowhere and killed Jo and everyone in their family. Then he cursed Bonnie and Elena and Damon ripped his head off. At that point Rebekah’s presence was really the least of anyone’s worries. </p><p>Damon and Alaric were off somewhere trying to come to terms with what had happened, Bonnie was blaming herself and determined to fix everything, and Caroline oversaw the clean up.</p><p>“I would stay to help, but I don't think there’s much I can do.” Rebekah offered. “I really don’t have much magical expertise. I’m trying to help Kol’s girlfriend bring him back to life, and if that works I could ask them both for advice for you, but even when I was a witch for a bit this year I really couldn’t do much alone.”</p><p>Caroline filtered that information for anything useful and then shook her head. “It’s okay, none of us can really do anything now. Why don’t you two go spend some time anywhere but here before you head back to New Orleans.” Then Caroline added in a whisper just for Rebekah to hear. “And be gentle with Matt, ever since my mom almost died, he’s been thinking about joining the police force, he wants to help but he’s human, today will be rough on him.”</p><p>Rebekah nodded her head to show she’d heard and then she escorted Matt away. They went back to his place and had a massive fight.</p><p>“Rebekah, I just want to help people here in Mystic Falls.”</p><p>“Becoming a cop in Mystic Falls just means being convincing when you say the words ‘animal attacks’ for the thousandth time.” Rebekah retorted.</p><p>“I don’t know why you even care, Bekah. This thing, with us, it isn’t going to last whether I die as a cop or as the next vampire’s lunch.”</p><p>“I don’t know either. Have a good life, Matt.” Rebekah told him and fled.<br/>
____________________________________________________________________________</p><p>
  <b>Late November 2013</b>
</p><p>“You think my children are still alive?” Alaric asked Lily Salvatore. She’d approached him at the Grill, apparently Stefan had shown her footage from his disastrous wedding to Jo, and Lily had seen something important.</p><p>“I’m not part of the gemini coven.” Lily reminded him. “So I can’t be sure what the spell they were chanting does, but from what I recognize of the language it sounds like they are moving the twins. I don’t think they mean Jo and Kai, because nothing happened to them.”</p><p>“Where could they have been moved to?” Alaric demanded.</p><p>“I don’t know.” Lily replied, but she was smiling. “But I will help you find your children, Alaric, because one day we can use them to help me bring my family out of the prison world.”</p><p>“I don’t want my children to have anything to do with the Gemini Coven!” Alaric told her. “I just want to protect them from this world.”</p><p>“And the Gemini Coven wanted nothing to do with my children either.” Lily reminded him. “But I need Gemini witches and a Bennet witch to release them from the prison world.”</p><p>“Help me find my children or there’s no chance you’ll ever see your heretics again.” Alaric argued.</p><p>“We need to do a locator spell.” Lily sighed. It was better to work with Alaric now, than to risk him finding the witches without her. Unfortunately, she had a long time before the next comet.</p><p>“I’ll call Bonnie.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Aquatic Rescue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Caroline, Matt, and Rebekah find out the news. Rebekah decides to ditch New Orleans.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Matt, you just need to call her.” Caroline told her friend as they hung out one day during his shift at the Grill. “You two had a fight, and it is clearly bothering you, even after several months and some light flirting with police recruits.”</p>
<p>“She’s in New Orleans, I’m going to join the force here in Mystic Falls. She’s a vampire, I will never turn.” Matt recited the reasons he hadn’t bothered patching things up with Rebekah when they fought after the wedding. “I don’t even know why she cares if I die in the line of duty, I’m going to die someday, everyone should.” He went back to cleaning the bar in front of him as Caroline geared up to change his mind.</p>
<p>“It’s just different for us.” Caroline said, wincing at the suggestion that vampires didn’t die. That’s how they were made. She had died, and it hurt! “Rebekah has been immortal for most of the last thousand years. All she knows is that it hurts to watch your loved ones die instead of choosing to live forever with you.” Caroline had mostly come to terms with the fact that although her mother had survived cancer, she could die any day at her job, and that someday she would be without her.</p>
<p>“Well, this way she doesn’t have to worry about it.” Matt replied. </p>
<p>“But it’s bothering you.” Caroline said again. “And maybe how you left things is bothering her too.”</p>
<p>“She could call.” Matt grumbled.</p>
<p>“And so can you!” Caroline handed him his phone.</p>
<p>“Fine.” Matt took it and started to look through his contacts. “But stop getting involved in my love life, Care.”</p>
<p>“As soon as you stop making a mess of it.” Caroline promised, teasing him.</p>
<p>Matt held the phone up to his ear and shushed her, waiting for Rebekah to pick up. He waited as the phone rang through. “She’s not there.” He said as he hung up.</p>
<p>“Then text her!” Caroline insisted. “I am not losing all this momentum you just built up.” Her phone began to ring. “I’m going to get this, you text Rebekah and tell her you want to talk.”</p>
<p>Matt sighed and started composing a message. After he hit send he looked up to see Caroline frozen. </p>
<p>“What is it now?” He asked, exhausted.</p>
<p>Caroline tried to compose herself. “That was Bonnie, and, well, I think I know why Rebekah didn’t answer.”</p>
<p>“Why? Is she okay?” Matt asked.</p>
<p>“She’s an Original, Matt. She’s okay.” Caroline decided it would be rude to remind him how just a few minutes before he was going on about how everyone should die and now he was worried about someone who really wasn’t in any danger of kicking the bucket. “I mean, I do not know how she is doing mentally, if it were me I would be completely messed up. Like, this is life changing-”</p>
<p>“Caroline!” Matt interrupted her stream of consciousness. “What is going on?”</p>
<p>“Rebekah’s pregnant.” Caroline told him and watched as Matt began to sway and then realized what he might be thinking. “Not with your baby, with Alaric’s.” </p>
<p>Matt looked even more confused, and a bit hurt now. Caroline made him walk around the bar and sit down next to her. “Apparently Jo and Alaric’s children survived the wedding because the Gemini Coven used their dying breath to move the fetuses into the nearest sturdy womb.”</p>
<p>“Rebekah told Bonnie this?” Matt asked, confused. “I don’t think they’ve ever said two words to each other. Why did she call her? Does she need something from us?”</p>
<p>“Uhhh. Well, Bonnie said that Alaric and Lily came to see her and asked for a locator spell. I don’t know if Rebekah knows.”</p>
<p>“Well, she’d be several months along, wouldn’t she be showing?”</p>
<p>“Maybe? This is a vampire pregnancy, as far as I know it’s never happened before.”</p>
<p>“So she could be down in New Orleans with her crazy family without a clue? Or she could be freaking out and not answering her phone because this is the weirdest thing that ever happened to her.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I guess so. And either way, she probably doesn’t know how it happened. So . . .”</p>
<p>“So we go tell her.” Matt finished. “It’s the kind of news you shouldn’t say over the phone anyway.”</p>
<p>Caroline texted Bonnie. “Actually, yeah. That’s kind of what Bonnie thought too. Alaric is distracting Lily while we go find Rebekah because he doesn’t trust Lily won’t try to steal his children.”</p>
<p>“I guess it’s you, me, and who  . . . Stefan or Damon?” Matt asked.</p>
<p>“Just us.” Caroline said. “Stefan or Damon might be convinced to help Lily, they’ve both been trying to get her attention in their own way and this clue to getting back her family would totally help them.”</p>
<p>Matt swore. “I hate supernatural family drama.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Well, we’re about to go to the only other place with an equal amount of that.” Caroline reminded him. “But I can go alone, I guess. I didn’t really want to involve Klaus in this but I can tell him I’m coming.”</p>
<p>Matt interrupted her. “No. You shouldn’t have to go alone and we should tell Rebekah before we talk to any of her siblings. I want to make sure she’s okay.”</p>
<p>Caroline nodded. “Okay, Bonnie is sending as detailed of coordinates as she can. Apparently Rebekah is just off the coast of Louisiana. Fancy rich people, she’s probably on a yacht.”<br/>___________________________________________________________________________</p>
<p>After a day’s drive at top speed, Caroline and Matt arrived at the boat launch just a minute before Elijah. </p>
<p>“Ms. Forbes, Mr. Donovan, can you explain to me what you are doing here?”</p>
<p>“We think something big is going on with Rebekah.” Caroline said, trying to dance around the subject and make Elijah tell them what he knew.</p>
<p>“Indeed.” Elijah agreed. “She is trapped at the bottom of the ocean, just a few miles out from this dock.”</p>
<p>Matt paled and turned to look out at the water, searching all over as if he would be able to spot her. “She’s trapped underwater? Who did that? Is she going to be okay? What about the-” Caroline stepped on Matt’s foot to shut him up.</p>
<p>“I assume it is rather torturous, but it isn’t the first time some fool has managed to trap one of us however briefly. Am I to believe you have nothing to do with this? It’s rather odd for you two to be so far from Virginia.”</p>
<p>“We would never do this to her.” Matt insisted. “I just wanted to talk to her again. We had a fight after she came to Mystic Falls in June and I wanted to apologize. She didn’t answer her phone and Bonnie did a locator spell.”</p>
<p>“Hmmm. Apparently Ms. Bennet is better at locator spells than my witches.” Elijah replied, considering. “Alright, you can come with me to find Rebekah, and if you are plotting against us, two Originals should be able to take out a vampire less than a decade old and a human. If not, I think we deserve whatever you’re planning.”</p>
<p>“We aren’t planning anything but a rescue.” Matt insisted but Elijah didn’t seem inclined to trust him. “Fine. Let’s just get to her.” </p>
<p>“I’ve chartered a ship to take me out to her location, and then I planned to send divers down.”</p>
<p>“I can go.” Matt offered.</p>
<p>“No, Matt. You’re human. I’ll go get her.” Caroline promised.</p>
<p>The three of them boarded Elijah’s ship and within the hour Caroline was in a wetsuit and diving.</p>
<p>“Rebekah better not make fun of my hair after I rescue her.” Caroline thought to herself. “And how am I going to tell her what’s going on without Elijah overhearing?” She imagined a game of underwater charades. Pregnant was easy enough to mime, but ‘you got pregnant because of that crazy cult at the wedding’ would require more skill than Caroline imagined even she possessed.</p>
<p>It turned out not to be that difficult though, because as soon as Caroline reached the box where Rebekah was trapped her mind was overtaken by the other woman. Suddenly they were back at the wedding, standing in the empty chapel before everything went to hell.</p>
<p>“What’s going on?” Rebekah demanded, her eyes crazed. “Can you hear them?”</p>
<p>“Can I hear who?” Caroline asked her gently.</p>
<p>“The beats, can you hear the heartbeats? I’ve been trapped down here for who knows how long and all I can do is listen to the beats as I feel my hunger growing.”</p>
<p>Caroline listened, and although it was only the two of them in the room that Rebekah was broadcasting into her mind, she could make out two human heartbeats. “That’s your children.” Caroline told her gently, happy to share the news.</p>
<p>“My what?” Rebekah sounded offended that Caroline would suggest such a thing.</p>
<p>“Your children.” Caroline repeated. “Let me show you.” She reached out her hand towards Rebekah and the other woman carefully allowed her to grasp it. Caroline let her mind travel back to Bonnie’s call, Matt’s terrified expression, and the race to get here to her, made more intense by finding out she was imprisoned. She also carefully showed her and Matt’s conversation with Elijah, so Rebekah knew that they hadn’t told him anything.</p>
<p>Rebekah pulled them back to the chapel. “So they aren’t my children.” She said, unsure of herself, and maybe a bit disappointed.</p>
<p>“I guess not technically.” Caroline agreed. “But they are in your protection and your body.”</p>
<p>“Ah yes, Rebekah Mikaelson, sturdiest womb around. Devoid of life for a thousand years and now I’m carrying twins.” </p>
<p>Caroline shrugged, there wasn’t really an appropriate response to some of the things that happened in their lives. “Yep. And that’s what Matt and I came to tell you. So let’s get you out of here and up to the surface where you can talk to your brother and figure out what you want to do next because this is as far as I was able to plan.”</p>
<p>“You can’t tell him.” Rebekah said, squeezing onto her hands suddenly in panic. “I don’t know what I want to do yet, so you can’t tell him, or Nik.”</p>
<p>“Okay, we won’t.” Caroline promised. “I’ll leave it up to you. Now just get out of my mind so I can break these chains and get you free already.”</p>
<p>“Okay, but once I’m out of here, let me know if I look pregnant.” Rebekah balked a little at the idea. “We may have to lie and say I ate a squid on the way up or something for sustenance. I do feel really hungry.”</p>
<p>Caroline rolled her eyes and waited for Rebekah to release her mind. When she could see again she broke Rebekah free and began to pull her towards the surface. She didn’t know how long Rebekah had been trapped but it looked like she was drained, almost completely desiccated.</p>
<p>Halfway up, Rebekah tugged on Caroline’s arm and Caroline did a quick visual sweep, Rebekah looked a bit bigger than usual so Caroline took off the outer jacket from her wetsuit and gave it to her. Rebekah looked at it and shook her head until Caroline nodded and started moving her arms apart to suggest that Rebekah was ballooning. Rebekah growled and grabbed the jacket, not zipping it to leave her shape obscured. Then they hurried up the rest of the way and Elijah reached down one hand and used it to pull both women up.</p>
<p>“Are you cold, Rebekah?” Elijah asked, noticing the clothing exchange.</p>
<p>“After a month in the ocean, even a vampire gets a bit chilly brother.” Rebekah replied.</p>
<p>“A month? You lost her for a month!” Matt was horrified and his face didn’t change even when Elijah shot a look at him suggesting that it was not his business.</p>
<p>“We’ll get you home soon, sister. I’ve missed you.” Elijah said and pulled Rebekah in for a brief hug.</p>
<p>“I think not.” Rebekah told him. “Matt is right, I was missing a month before you found me, and all it took for him to become concerned was one missed phone call.” </p>
<p>Elijah now turned to Caroline, annoyed. “An interesting view of events that you presented to my sister, Ms. Forbes. It would be very helpful if you explained to us how you were able to find her with a locator spell when our own sister could not.”</p>
<p>Rebekah turned to look at Caroline, who didn’t say a word, and she apparently read all she needed to from Caroline’s expression. Bonnie had tracked the babies, not Rebekah, and Elijah couldn’t know that. “It doesn’t matter. <i>They</i> found me, and I’m going back to Mystic Falls with them. I need a break from this family and all this nonsense of prophecies.”</p>
<p>“We need you now, Rebekah.” Elijah reminded her. “There was a reason you were kidnapped.”</p>
<p>“Yes, and I’m sure when I return there will be another family drama going on, it’s fine if I miss one now and then. Did you bring me anything to eat, Elijah? I’ve been starved and I’m feeling ravenous.”</p>
<p>Caroline noticed that Rebekah did seem a bit on edge, and that she was careful to avoid looking at Matt. Maybe it was the fight, maybe the bloodlust. She’d wait until Elijah left to check.</p>
<p>“There’s a captain for the ship, and another person running around somewhere doing something nautical.” Elijah replied. “Just leave them with enough so we can make it back to shore, please. I’m afraid it’s been quite a few years since I last piloted a ship and the handling was a bit simpler at the time.”</p>
<p>Rebekah disappeared before he finished speaking and could be heard, at least by Caroline and Elijah as eating rather messily.</p>
<p>“Did she say anything to you?” Elijah asked, grimacing at the sound. “Or did you say something to her, that is making her act this way?”</p>
<p>Caroline shook her head. “No. But I think I’m going to check on her, I can’t drive this either.”</p>
<p>Caroline took off and stopped Rebekah before she could kill their pilot, giving him a bit of her own blood to bring him back to consciousness. Unfortunately she wasn’t in time to save his help.</p>
<p>“Clean yourself up before Matt sees you.” Caroline suggested quietly. “I’m sorry we didn’t think to bring more.”</p>
<p>“I shouldn’t be this hungry and I’m never out of control.” Rebekah told her, with haunted eyes as she scratched absentmindedly at her wrist. Caroline went to take the wetsuit jacket back from Rebekah, assuming that was her complaint about her arm, when she saw something red there. Caroline gestured at Rebekah to remove the fabric and they both saw a skull tattoo with a red outline that appeared to grow and then shrink again after a moment. Rebekah shook her head when Caroline looked at her with a questioning face. Rebekah mouthed “Later.” and pulled her sleeve back down.</p>
<p>They made it back to land without any more incidents although Caroline did have to hop off the boat to tie it down when their pilot suddenly remembered he left dock without his assistant, how foolish. </p>
<p>“Rebekah, don’t do this.” Elijah urged her. “There are important matters to be dealt with here.”</p>
<p>“Nothing you need me for.” Rebekah waved him off. “Matt and I have a conversation to continue, and Mystic Falls is lovely this time of year. So get back to Nik and Freya and I’ll find you when I’m ready.”</p>
<p>With one final look of disappointment, Elijah sped off at her rejection. He could tell when his sister was going to be stubborn but he knew she’d always come back.</p>
<p>Matt looked nervous. “Rebekah there’s something we have to tell you.”</p>
<p>“Caroline told me on the way to the ship.” Rebekah said, brushing him aside. “Now let’s get on the road.”</p>
<p>“Do you need any more blood first?” Caroline hinted.</p>
<p>“It’s strange. I’m not so hungry anymore.” Rebekah replied. </p>
<p>“You did just feed from two people.” Matt reminded her as they got into the car. Caroline positioned him as the driver and pulled Rebekah towards the back seat.</p>
<p>Caroline waited until the doors closed to make a joke. “But now she’s eating for three.”</p>
<p>Despite her clever wit, no one laughed.</p>
<p>“You will tell me more about this on the way.” Rebekah said, somewhere between a question and a demand.</p>
<p>“Everything we know.” Caroline promised.</p>
<p>“Good.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Catching Up</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After Caroline and Matt had detailed everything they knew about Jo and the Gemini Coven, as well as more information about Lily Salvatore, because Lily wanted to use some unborn children to do her bidding and because Rebekah hadn’t heard that Stefan and Damon’s mother was back from the supposed dead, also, gossip is fun.</p><p>“Huh, I thought Mothers coming back from the dead was rare, turns out I’m not special.” Rebekah huffed.</p><p>“She isn’t really the best mother.” Caroline told her. “In fact she doesn’t seem to be particularly interested in her sons, only trying to get back to the family she sired.”</p><p>“Mothers back from the dead who don’t care about their own children, my family’s story is nothing but a primer to those Salvatore copy cats.”</p><p>“Anyway.” Matt brought the conversation back their current predicament. “So that’s why we didn’t bring more people to rescue you. We can’t entirely trust Stefan and Damon even if we could pry them away from Elena’s body.”</p><p>“She’s still in a coma?” Rebekah sounded surprised. “I just thought that would be priority number one for all of you.”</p><p>“Certainly for some of us.” Caroline agreed. “But honestly I’ve been happy to have things relatively low-key since my mom’s health scare and the wedding. Lily keeps trying to get people to help her but there’s nothing we can do without the right comet, and Bonnie seems to think there’s something off about her anyway. Now we’ve told you what we know, and, well, Alaric wants us to bring you back to Mystic Falls until you give birth to the twins, but I don’t know what you want.”</p><p>Rebekah didn’t say anything so Caroline continued. “I mean, I know we aren’t friends but I can’t imagine what you are going through right now. You probably haven’t had a pregnancy scare in a thousand years and now, I just-, I want you to know that I think you should get a vote in whatever happens from here on out, you’re involved! It’s your body!” What had started as a ramble ended up as a declaration and Caroline felt herself taking a stand, even though no one was currently standing against her.</p><p>“And I will raise these children with you, if that’s what you need.” Matt said, feeding off of Caroline’s energy and pulling the car over suddenly so he could turn to look at Rebekah.</p><p>Caroline did a double-take, her mojo thrown off as she wondered if she’d missed something. She didn’t think that Rebekah and Matt had been that serious. As she looked back and forth between them she realized Rebekah also seemed surprised, shocked, a bit like a spooked animal.</p><p>“What?” Was all Rebekah could get out before Matt spoke again.</p><p>“Rebekah Mikaelson, will you marry me?”</p><p>Rebekah now looked very much like a deer caught in the headlights, or as much as an Original vampire, apex predator, could. Caroline noticed that although Rebekah was frozen in place, the veins around her eyes began to move which gave some insight to what she was feeling. Caroline threw herself across Rebekah’s lap and opened the side door. Rebekah was out a moment later, to Matt’s eyes she may have been gone before he finished speaking.</p><p>“Where did she go?” Matt demanded, confused. “Is she okay? Morning sickness?”</p><p>Caroline shook her head. “Sometimes I think you’re too nice of a guy Matt, but this time I think you just crossed over into ‘weird asshole who thinks he’s been chivalrous’ territory. Way too add one more thing to her plate today.” She sighed. “I’m going to get Rebekah. Lock the doors and don’t let her back in unless I’m with her or you’ll go from hopeful-fiance to dinner.”</p><p>Then Caroline darted out into the woods, and quickly found Rebekah draining some nearby campers, those pests were everywhere, all the better for vampires. Again her feeding style was out of control, like a new vampire just transitioning. Caroline wouldn’t have been surprised by this behavior from Klaus, or maybe Kol, but Rebekah was usually calculated in her kills, even when she was aiming for gore.</p><p>“Can you tell me about this now?” Caroline asked, grabbing at Rebekah’s wrist to stop her from scratching it again.</p><p>Rebekah focused on bringing her eyes back to normal and rolled up her sleeve. “My family is cursed.”</p><p>“Metaphorically or . . .”</p><p>“Both, probably.” Rebekah replied, shrugging. They watched as the red around the tattoo flared up again, gaining ground and darkening. “This time, there’s an actual curse someone placed on us. Elijah, Nik and I will die, ‘One by friend, one by foe, and one by family’ and it looks like I’m fated to kill a member of my family.” </p><p>Rebekah was scowling now, it hurt to think that she would be the betrayer, again. Before their eyes, the red inflammation shrunk again and this time disappeared entirely. “But I don’t think it’s supposed to do that.” She lifted her arm closer to her face to take a better look.</p><p>“It could be the babies.” Caroline suggested.</p><p>“You think this curse is sinking into them instead?” Rebekah sounded distraught. “Wow. Mother of the year and the babies are still just developing their lungs.”</p><p>“No, no.” Caroline put her hands up and tried to rephrase her idea. “Your babies, they might be siphoners like Kai, they umm, they can’t create their own magic so they suck it out of others.”</p><p>“You think my children are eating the curse?”</p><p>“Yes. As it tries to grow, they feel the power and are absorbing it to boost their own magic, maybe.” Caroline wasn’t an expert on siphoners, but it sounded as reasonable as anything else that happened to her friends.</p><p>“But that won’t curse them.”</p><p>“I don’t think so, but we should ask Bonnie, or another witch you trust.”</p><p>“The only witches I trust are my sister and Davina. I can’t tell Freya about this, she’s definitely going to want to help me and have me come see her so she can protect me and the babies but if I get too close and your theory is wrong I might succumb to uncontrollable bloodlust and kill her.”</p><p>“Oh, your sister is a witch?” Caroline asked, trying to distract Rebekah and calm her down.</p><p>“Yeah. But bloodlust aside, she’s got other problems. I lied to Elijah because I didn’t want to pull him into this before I even know what I want to do, and whether I might kill him.”</p><p>“Right.” Caroline said. “Then we can get your friend, Davina.”</p><p>“Davina is as good as family. She’s Kol’s girlfriend. The prophecy could mean her, or she could just be a victim of my lack of control. Without her we’ll never get Kol back, so I won’t risk it.”</p><p>“I didn’t know Kol had a girlfriend, I’m so sorry.”</p><p>“It’s okay. She can bring him back again, I’ll help her, as soon as I have these anti-magic babies.”</p><p>“Just give us a heads up before that happens so we can get Jeremy into hiding.” Caroline requested, half joking.</p><p>“Oh, well Kol didn’t kill him last time he came back to life, and I think he’ll probably be too busy this time too.” Rebekah reasoned.</p><p>“Wait. Kol came back to life?” Caroline’s jaw dropped. “And you think he can do it again?”</p><p>“You said you follow me on Twitter.” Rebekah said, confused. “I thought you would have known.”</p><p>“I thought some of the stuff you said was to misdirect people, so you’d just look like an out-there dark aesthetic beauty blog. I mean, you also said Klaus had a daughter.” Caroline reminded her, laughing.</p><p>“Yes, my niece, Hope.” Rebekah replied, completely sincere.</p><p>“WHAT?”</p><p>“I told you at the wedding that I’d been babysitting my niece for most of the last year. I thought you knew.”</p><p>“I thought your niece was from your long lost sister, or maybe Elijah had settled down with a human or someone <i>not dead</i> who had a kid!” Caroline started pacing, Klaus had a kid. Klaus had a kid. Klaus had a kid, and he didn’t tell her. Dick.</p><p>Rebekah snorted. “Elijah and a human, right. Oh god, you really didn’t know that Klaus had a baby.”</p><p>“No! When did this happen?”</p><p>“Hope was born last May. She’s eighteen months old now.” </p><p>May of the year before, Caroline thought, counting backwards to a conception date. “So, you definitely knew about her in January when you and Klaus came to watch Katherine die?”</p><p>“Yes.” Rebekah said, calculating in her head, and then seeing the issue. “Oh, Klaus definitely should have told you then, especially since you two hooked up. Yeah, that’s on him.”</p><p>“Could he have gotten me pregnant?” Caroline was trying very hard not to take on the crazy vibes that Rebekah had slowly been losing as they talked, but she was processing and she had nothing to write with so she just had to talk it all out, loudly and quickly, while pacing. “I will kill him if he could have gotten me pregnant and didn’t tell me!”</p><p>“Oh, no. I think you would still have to have been alive for him to knock you up.”</p><p>“You’re a thousand years dead yet here we are.” Caroline said, gesturing at Rebekah’s stomach.</p><p>“A slightly different issue, but given that we also thought this was impossible, I do understand your concern.” Rebekah agreed, trying to calm her down. She wondered if Nik had thought about that.</p><p>“Okay. Sorry. It’s totally your turn to be freaking out, not mine. Sorry.” Caroline looked sheepish. “Can I still kill him for not telling me? I mean we aren’t together but come on.”</p><p>“We were keeping her a secret for a while because at least one group of witches wanted her dead and basically all of Klaus’ enemies wanted to use her as leverage.” Rebekah suggested, although she doubted that was her brother’s logic for not telling his crush he’d knocked someone up.</p><p>“Okay, but are Klaus and his baby mama together now? Because I do not want to be a homewrecker, or have been one unknowingly.” Caroline tried to prepare herself for whatever Rebekah said, yes or no, because it didn’t really matter to her, she wasn’t waiting to be ready for Klaus and she would be completely okay if he wasn’t waiting for her either. Totally fine. Although he could totally warn a girl.</p><p>Rebekah laughed. “No, Hayley is way more interested in Elijah than Klaus and Klaus just hit it and quit it.”</p><p>Caroline froze, her mental preparation had failed her as she filled in the blanks and saw red. “Not Hayley <i>Marshall</i> right? Not the skank who tricked Klaus into murdering a dozen people for shits and giggles?”</p><p>“Technically it was for information on her parents.” Rebekah said quickly.</p><p>“The Hayley Marshall, who is the reason that Tyler’s mom is dead? <i>The</i> Hayley Marshall who broke my neck in the bathroom at the Grill that one time because I had a plan that was better than the terrible one she had tricked Tyler into for the sole purpose of having Klaus kill his twelve hybrids?”</p><p>“Assuming those are all the same werewolf who had a one night stand with my brother two plus years ago, then YES!” Rebekah was getting less interested in Caroline’s rant now, and her feet were beginning to hurt.</p><p>“Fine!” Caroline took a moment to breathe in and out. “Fine. This is about you and the babies, not about Klaus and,” she paused and grumbled something that sounded like fucking Hayley Marshall.</p><p>“Thank you. Let’s get back to the car. I think I can stand to be around Matt again.” Rebekah then seemed to remember what had sent her running. “Or at least I won’t eat him. I’m definitely not talking to him for the rest of the trip. Marriage? I don’t even know what’s going on with these babies and out of the blue, he wants to marry me!”</p><p>“He’s an idiot.” Caroline agreed as they headed back to the car. “I know I’m generalizing right now but I can’t think of any man in our weird Supernatural lives that consistently makes good decisions.”</p><p>“You might change that to anyone instead of any man.” Rebekah said reluctantly. “Since my family was reunited in Mystic Falls a few years back I’ve tried to kill or contain Nik a half dozen times.”</p><p>“He has that type of face.” Caroline offered. “I’m thinking about it myself right now.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Coming up with a Plan</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Matt gets Caroline and Rebekah back to Mystic Falls where it doesn't take long for word to spread. Rebekah comes up with a plan for what she wants.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The rest of the drive was exceptionally awkward. Caroline wanted to ask more questions about Klaus and his Baby(!!) but also knew Rebekah had more important things on her mind, Matt was flushed red from embarrassment most of the time and silently contemplating the rest, and Rebekah made them stop twice more for blood binges. Caroline went with her after that first unplanned break, and was able to stop her from killing anyone. Each binge was intense, but Rebekah noted the all-consuming urge was becoming briefer and briefer and the tattoo was nearly gone by their last stop. Rebekah still hadn't mentioned it to Matt, and Caroline had followed her lead. They were looking at the curse mark as they sat for a moment before returning to the uncomfortable atmosphere of the car.</p>
<p>“I think you’re right. The babies are siphoning the curse away! But I still need to make sure it won’t hurt them. I don’t want to be a bad mother. I’ve waited so long to have children, and if this is the only way I can have them, so much of me wants to do it.”</p>
<p>“My mom says part of her always thought my dad was gay, but she knew it was the only chance for her to have a baby and her chosen career, so she married him.” </p>
<p>“Your mother is an interesting woman.” Rebekah replied. “But she’s definitely the best mother I’ve ever met.” She had heard from Klaus about how Liz Forbes allowed him into her home on the chance that he would heal Caroline. She had also heard from Matt how much Liz inspired him, and how he and Liz had bonded over coming to terms with Caroline becoming a vampire.</p>
<p>“I’m rather fond of her.” Caroline agreed easily, then thinking the conversation was ending, she stood up and made as if to start walking out of the woods.</p>
<p>Rebekah was silent for a moment as she stayed sitting, thinking, and then she announced. “I want your mother to teach me how to be a good mom.”</p>
<p>“What?! Why?” Caroline spun around to face Rebekah again.</p>
<p>“I just told you. She’s the best mother I’ve ever met. My mother is/was/will be a nightmare, hard to know what tense to use when she could always try again to come back and kill me. Also as you said earlier today, Stefan and Damon’s mother it turns out is awful. I’ve never met any parent with Supernatural children who was a shining example, my brother is doing alright but Hope is a toddler, Nik can’t screw up that badly yet as long as she’s still breathing.”</p>
<p>“Matt’s mother has never been anything great, and she didn’t even know her daughter became a vampire.” Caroline added. “Though don’t tell him I mentioned it. And Elena’s birth mother Isobel, she was something else.”</p>
<p>“Ditched her baby, and then later ditched her husband after convincing Damon to turn her, isn’t that right?”</p>
<p>“All of that was before she started working for Katherine, then she got worse.” Caroline said.</p>
<p>“Anyone else with a bad mom?” Rebekah asked.</p>
<p>“Bonnie’s mom abandoned her at the age of three to move like an hour away and find a new family with fewer magic problems.” Caroline paused. “Huh. You know I think I might be seeing the root of some of our problems.” </p>
<p>“No. Do not analyze this, we already have someone for that in New Orleans. Just tell me, other than your mom do you know of anyone with a good mom in our supernatural world?”</p>
<p>“There was that vampire mother and daughter, and the mother was locked under the church but her daughter was devoted to freeing her and they seemed good, but they’re dead now.” </p>
<p>“Not so helpful.”</p>
<p>“I should add that my mom wasn’t the most supportive when I turned.”</p>
<p>“But you would recommend her, as a mother?” Rebekah asked, as if Caroline had been the one to initiate this conversation. Caroline felt as if she were in an interview and she had to stand up for her mom.</p>
<p>“Yes. We got over it, I mean we’re still working on the whole ‘she will die someday but I never will thing’, but we’re over the ‘all vampires are evil thing’. She even rescued me from my dad that time he tried to torture the vampire out of me.”</p>
<p>“I assume that didn’t work?” Rebekah asked, interested.</p>
<p>“It did not.” Caroline confirmed. “And my mom’s choice to save me rather than work with him to try to change the nature of my being was a big step for us.”</p>
<p>“Hmmm.” Rebekah nodded to herself. “Then I want no one less than Elizabeth Forbes as my Motherhood Teacher.” With that, she stood up and strode off to the car leaving Caroline frozen for a moment before she scrambled to follow.<br/>__________________________________________________________________________</p>
<p>“So where are we going?” Matt asked as they got close to the town line. “The Mikaelson Mansion or your place, Care?”</p>
<p>“To Bonnie.” Rebekah replied, eager to know if her family’s curse was coding evil into the genes of the babies she was carrying. If it was she’d already lost a month in trying to save them.</p>
<p>“Let me check that she isn’t being watched by Lily.” Caroline told her and quickly texted Bonnie. “And are you ready to talk to Alaric yet or do you want some time?”</p>
<p>“Time, I suppose. The last time I remember seeing him is when he was trying to kill me and my brothers.” Rebekah paused, remembering. “I thought he had killed Nik, just after we’d destroyed one monster another was created by my mother to kill us.”</p>
<p>“That wasn’t really him.” Matt told her.</p>
<p>“But still, it can be difficult to separate a face from the pain.” Caroline told him and Rebekah gave her a searching glance.</p>
<p>“I guess we can lay low at your place and Bonnie can meet us there.” Rebekah said. “And that will give me time to ask your mother to teach me.”</p>
<p>“You want to be a cop?” Matt asked, confused. </p>
<p>“No, a good mother.” Rebekah addressed Matt for the first time in hours.<br/>___________________________________________________________________________</p>
<p>Matt dropped Caroline and Rebekah off and promised to come back later with food. </p>
<p>“I kind of left work without notice for the last two days, but Jeremy covered for me. I should get back there and give him a break.” Matt looked at Rebekah, to see if she had anything to say to him before he left, but she was already resting on the couch. He looked at Caroline and then back to Rebekah.</p>
<p>Caroline waved goodbye to him. “Just give <i>her</i> a break, Matt, she needs time to think.”</p>
<p>After the door closed Rebekah opened her eyes and looked at Caroline, still content to ignore Matt after his question earlier. “Do you think Alaric would be a good father?”</p>
<p>“I don’t know.” Caroline thought about it. “He’s been protecting Elena and Jeremy for years, but he hasn’t always been fatherly, more like a semi-drunk uncle who is the only one old enough to be an authority figure.”</p>
<p>“Other than Damon, I suppose that’s true.”</p>
<p>“Well, Alaric and Damon are best friends.” Caroline pointed out.</p>
<p>“That’s a strike against him.” </p>
<p>“Is this a three strike system or a pro/con list?” Caroline asked, heading towards a notebook she’d left on the coffee table. If Rebekah was ready to start making a plan, Caroline was on board.</p>
<p>“Neither, this is a value judgement.” Rebekah rolled her eyes as Caroline sadly dropped her pen and paper. “I’m just saying an alcoholic who gets along with Damon might not be the best for these children.”</p>
<p>“I’m sure he’d shape up for his kids, they’re his last connection to Jo, and I think he’ll want to do right by them.”</p>
<p>“Of course, he’ll <i>want</i> to. But both my parents just wanted to do what they thought was best for me and my siblings when they turned us all into monsters.”</p>
<p>“Touche.” </p>
<p>“What does Alaric know about witches?” Rebekah asked. </p>
<p>“He knows Bonnie.” Caroline shrugged. “Jo avoided using her magic and the rest of her coven was kind of cult-y. So I guess he knows the same as the rest of us.”</p>
<p>“I’ve been around a thousand years, I’ve known and befriended many witches.” Rebekah corrected her. “Who will teach them magic?”</p>
<p>“Bonnie probably, if Alaric wants them to learn. I don’t think Jo would have taught them.”</p>
<p>“Hmmm.”</p>
<p>“Maybe you should talk to Jeremy about Alaric, they are pretty close and he would paint a better picture than I’m doing.” Caroline was trying not to place herself in Rebekah's shoes and analyze Alaric's every fault. She knew she was a harsh critic, but everyone was expecting her to be on Alaric's side and honestly, she could at least try.</p>
<p>“Maybe. But I think I’m ready to talk to him now, after we talk to Bonnie.”</p>
<p>Caroline started to text Bonnie when she and Rebekah both heard the sound of footsteps approaching the front door and then there was a knock and Caroline went to answer it.</p>
<p>“Bonnie, Alaric!” Caroline called out, as if Rebekah didn’t have super hearing, trying to prepare the Original for their visitors.</p>
<p>“Is she here? We saw Matt come into the Grill.” Alaric moved past Caroline into her house. Caroline looked at Bonnie who shook her head to suggest she hadn’t been able to get away from Alaric to come first but she’d seen Caroline’s messages that they wanted to see her alone. They had a silent conversation, Caroline asking how bad Bonnie thought this would turn out and Bonnie shrugging but patting her purse to say she would be prepared for any situation.</p>
<p>“Hello Alaric.” Rebekah said a bit loudly, in a strange tone, interrupting Caroline and Bonnie. They went into the next room and saw Alaric half kneeling on the floor looking at Rebekah’s stomach. Rebekah’s face was one of confusion, albeit optimistic confusion. Alaric’s reaction was a reminder that she was pregnant, and that strange thing she’d always heard about people putting their hands on your belly was real. Of course, Alaric was the father, so he wasn’t the stranger to these babies, she was. Still, she was pregnant, she was here, she was part of this! Caroline was right, she deserved a vote.</p>
<p>“Thank you for coming, Rebekah.” Alaric said, standing up but never taking his eyes off her bump.</p>
<p>“Of course. I didn’t want my family to find out about this, and until Caroline found me yesterday, I didn’t entirely know what was going on.” No need to say that she'd been unconscious during most of the time she would have been showing and too busy to recognize any changes before she was daggered. She wanted to come off as a responsible pseudo-mom.</p>
<p>“Right, we didn’t know either. We didn’t know they were alive.” Alaric said. “But, we can fix this now.”</p>
<p>“Fix this?” Caroline asked and Bonnie touched her arm to warn her, whatever Alaric was about to say, it was going to be a doozy.</p>
<p>“Yes.” Alaric spun around and looked at the two of them. “I was telling Bonnie on the way over, if the Gemini Coven can transport my children into one vampire, then Bonnie can transport them into another!”</p>
<p>“Why would you do that?” Caroline asked, watching as Rebekah’s face fell, all her hopes of motherhood crushed by one sentence.</p>
<p>“Because Rebekah will want to get back to her family.” Alaric said quickly, giving no one any time to disagree. “We can transfer the babies into you and you can protect them until they are born. Bonnie can do the spell tonight and you and I can go into hiding first thing tomorrow.”</p>
<p>“Go into hiding?” Bonnie asked. “You didn’t say anything about that, and I’m not sure I can do magic alone that took a dozen witches to accomplish.”</p>
<p>“They were fighting Kai at the time, their magic must have been divided.” Alaric insisted. “Plus you can always go talk to your ancestors, right? This is a good cause, they would help you.”</p>
<p>“I don’t agree to this.” Caroline said, stepping towards Rebekah. “And I don’t think I’m the only one you’d have to convince.”</p>
<p>“You aren’t ripping these babies out of me.” Rebekah growled at Alaric, ready to speak now that Caroline had shown her support.</p>
<p>“They are my children.” Alaric argued. “No one has a say but me and I say that I need to keep them safe.”</p>
<p>“Bonnie gets a say because without her you can’t do the spell. I get a say because you aren’t putting any children inside me without my permission and Rebekah gets a say because she has already carried your children for five months!” Caroline told him.</p>
<p>“Caroline, please, I need you to save my children. Once you give birth you can leave, I don’t think my children need any vampires in their lives anyway.”</p>
<p>“What do you mean?” Caroline asked him. “Elena and Jeremy are always going to have vampires in their lives. And Rebekah has already saved your children.”</p>
<p>“Elena won’t wake up until Bonnie dies.” Alaric reminded her, carefully ignoring her last statement. “By then my children will be older and can protect themselves.”</p>
<p>“So you are planning to have them trained as witches.” Rebekah suggested, relieved he wasn't entirely crazy. Not that she had any inclination to let him remove the babies she was carrying, Bonnie was right, it would be a mistake to move them again. She wouldn't risk these kids, she's known about them for a day but they were already hers to protect.</p>
<p>“No. I’ll train them to be vampire hunters.” Alaric told her. “Jo never would have wanted them to use their magic.”</p>
<p>“But she’d want them trained to kill?” Caroline said at the same time Bonnie butted in. “They are witches, you need to teach them. You know that I'm still pissed I wasn’t taught what I was from a young age. It left me susceptible to so many mistakes once I started learning. I’ll teach them.”</p>
<p>“They won’t learn magic!” Alaric shouted, and everyone went quiet. “Stop trying to make decisions for my family. Bonnie, just go figure out whatever spell you need so that Caroline and I can get out of here.”</p>
<p>Caroline took one look at Rebekah, who seemed ready to kill, and picked Alaric up, running him several miles away out into the woods before she dropped him. <br/>__________________________________________________________________________</p>
<p>By the time she got back Bonnie and Rebekah had both calmed down and were drinking tea as Bonnie studied Rebekah’s tattoo. Caroline hadn't thought to look at it while Alaric was present but she imagined it had started to itch again, and Caroline was very impressed Alaric was alive.</p>
<p>“So it isn’t hurting the babies?”</p>
<p>“No. It isn’t like they specifically need light magic to grow up moral, big, and strong, they’ll absorb any magic.” Bonnie told her. “But you’re lucky you’re an Original. I think the reason you’re so weak isn’t just because you were desiccating. They’ve literally been pulling your strength out of you.”</p>
<p>“Not even born yet and they’re already demanding everything from you.” Caroline joked. “Bonnie, can surrogates pass on personality traits to babies?”</p>
<p>“Hah. Hah.” Rebekah replied. “Where did you dump the body?”</p>
<p>“I didn’t kill Alaric.” Caroline told her. “I think someday these kids may want to know him, despite how unreasonable he was today.”</p>
<p>“Unreasonable? What a ridiculous understatement.”</p>
<p>Bonnie agreed. “I promise, I won’t do that spell unless you both agree. I didn’t agree to it in the first place, it was just something Alaric decided could happen and should.”</p>
<p>“Well, it isn’t happening.” Rebekah told her. “And as far as I am concerned Alaric isn’t getting these children at all. I wasn’t feeling very kindly towards him before he came over and said he would train these children to kill vampires like he almost killed me and my family.”</p>
<p>“And me.” Caroline put in. “He tortured me.”</p>
<p>“That wasn’t Alaric.” Bonnie reminded her.</p>
<p>“It wasn’t <i>just</i> Alaric, but what he did to me? That clear purpose and precision to kill and torture? He’s done that before and would absolutely do it again if he felt the ends justified the means.”</p>
<p>“We’ve all killed, Caroline.” Bonnie said, not willing to let Caroline take the moral high ground that easily.</p>
<p>“Yes. But we won’t all be raising children here. We didn’t all say we would raise our children with the intent that they would follow in our footsteps with intention to murder.” Rebekah countered.</p>
<p>“So what is your plan?” Another voice asked, as a door closed behind them. “What is your parenting strategy?”</p>
<p>Caroline turned and saw her mother standing in her full uniform clearly on edge, but willing to listen. She had rarely been more proud to be the Liz Forbes' daughter.</p>
<p>“What a good question, Sheriff.” Rebekah replied. “You have perfect timing. I came here today, well for several reasons, but most importantly, to ask you to teach me how to be a good mother.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So this chapter gets to the heart of the idea I had for this story, Rebekah is pregnant instead of Caroline, and she wants Liz Forbes to teach her how to be a badass mom that evolves to love and protect her children no matter what. I have a bit more written but will probably slow down in posting the next few chapters until I finish the entire story.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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